Eternal Heavenly Emperor

Time ticked away, second by second, and Chu Hao remained seated, absorbing the Star Stone.

He wasn't in a hurry at all.

But the Native Faction was anxious, their three top generals pinned under Chu Hao's buttocks. With each second that passed, it was like receiving another slap in the face, unbearable and painful.

That brat was too hateful. Why wouldn't he sit on the ground? Why did he insist on sitting on top of the three men?

"Chu Hao, are you done yet?"

"Are you scared and pretending to still be resting?"

"Being scared is useless, you're dead today no matter what."

People from the Native Faction began to shout, their anger mounting as the waiting time dragged on.

The disciples of the River Down Courtyard immediately retorted that Chu Hao had already fought three consecutive battles. What was wrong with resting a bit longer? The Native Faction had started to rotate their fighters against him, and still, they didn't allow one to rest properly. Were they shameless?

In the midst of the bickering on both sides, Chu Hao finally opened his eyes.

"Chu Hao, have you rested enough?" Yang Sen yelled as he charged forward, "Then come on and fight."

"I just kept my eyes closed for too long and needed to open them for a bit," said Chu Hao as he closed his eyes again, as if he hadn't noticed Yang Sen rushing over.

Screech.

Yang Sen had to slam on the brakes abruptly, his punch stopping barely half an inch from Chu Hao's cheek. The wind from the punch brushed across Chu Hao's face, causing his hair to dance wildly.

How uncomfortable.

Yang Sen felt a boiling rage inside him. Not only had his punch missed, but he had forcibly stopped it mid-way. It was hardly better than if he had landed the hit on himself, wasn't it uncomfortable? He couldn't help but feel extreme anger. That youngster was too good at playing tricks.

And yet, there Chu Hao sat, completely defenseless before him, and he couldn't lay a finger on the other man. This, however, only fueled his irritation further.

He really wanted to slaughter this brat.

He had no choice but to stomp back furiously, his footsteps heavy as thunder, as if he wanted to punch a hole through the ground.

Pfft!

The River Down Courtyard disciples laughed out loud, while the Native Faction disciples were burning with rage, practically wanting to devour someone alive.

"This youngster's composure is terrifying," observed someone who saw something deeper. In a corner not too far away, two young men stood side by side, one dressed in black and the other in green, both radiating formidable auras.

——Ranked seventh, Gu Zi, and tenth, Ke Jiren.

"Impressive, to remain completely unruffled even with the fist approaching his face. Such composure is truly chilling," Ke Jiren nodded.

"But a dog from the Lower World, no matter how strong, is still just a dog. Without the backing of a powerful force, it cannot just rely on luck to survive," said Gu Zi coolly.

"Are you thinking of taking in this dog?" Ke Jiren asked with a smile.

"Not interested," Gu Zi shook his head, "Even though he is a wretched dog from the Lower World who has managed to get here, he must surely already have a master. I can't afford to offend them."

"He belongs to the Ling Family," Ke Jiren whispered.

"Then Ling Tianhe isn't managing his dog properly, letting it bite wildly like this. It's easy to end up with all its teeth knocked out," Gu Zi scoffed.

"Ling Tianhe probably didn't expect a dog from the Lower World to be so audacious," said Ke Jiren.

"Then it's none of our concern. The Ling Family will naturally deal with their dog," replied Gu Zi.

"However, the Martial Technique used by that youngster seems very powerful."

"That must be some fluke where he found it in some ancient relic… But who knows to what Rank it could be."

"The Rank of a Martial Technique is important, but it also depends on the degree of mastery by the user. In the hands of Hua Jin and Liu Guang, a Human-Level High-Grade Martial Technique can only exert the power of the Human-Level Middle-Grade at most."

"That's true."

"Let's hope Yang Sen doesn't disappoint."

"We'll see."

Both remained silent, waiting for the start of the fourth match.

Another half hour passed, and Chu Hao finally opened his eyes again.

"Chu Hao, have you rested enough this time?" Yang Sen called out.

"Though I'm still not at my best, it should be enough to deal with you," replied Chu Hao casually.

"Bullshit," Yang Sen roared in anger, even cursing outright to express the rage in his heart. He took a deep breath, calming himself. Impulsiveness was the last thing one needed in combat, and he couldn't let this youngster get under his skin.

He pointed his finger and said, "Then let's fight."

Chu Hao leaped up and replied, "You'll be on the ground within three moves."

"Hahaha, you sure can talk big," scoffed Yang Sen. "Let me tell you, I've already seen through the Palm Technique you used earlier."

Chu Hao just gave a slight smile, "I'm not planning to use that move again," he said as both his hands morphed into palms, and flames rose around him, his entire being emanating a sharp aura.

Sky Wind Eight Styles' second form, Breaking Wave.

Yang Sen's heart tightened, his skin prickling in anticipation. Instinctively, he sensed the formidable power of Chu Hao's impending strike.

Three moves? This youngster was obviously betting everything on a single move.

A single move to determine the outcome.

He too roared, pushing his Combat Power to the limit. The strongest technique of his family's Iron Elephant Fist was ready, his fist instantly turning pitch black with inch-long iron spikes forming on it. This was his Black Iron physique in action, and once activated, those spikes had a fearsome armor-piercing effect, extremely terrifying in power.

"Kill."

Both individuals charged toward each other simultaneously, fists and palms colliding, sending a wave visible to the naked eye rippling outward with a series of heavy thuds, as the swirling sands rose once more.

Both figures were sent flying backward, thud thud, landing separately on the ground.

A draw with both sides injured?

But just a moment later, Chu Hao struggled to his feet, while Yang Sen... did not.

Defeated again.

The Native Faction hung their heads in defeat; even Yang Sen, ranked 87th, had lost.

Victorious once more.

The disciples from the Upper Academy were brimming with spirit, grinning so widely that their mouths couldn't close.

After catching his breath, Chu Hao turned Yang Sen into a human chair and sat down, saying, "Anyone who wants to challenge me, just bring it on."

Swish, all eyes immediately turned to Yin Mei.

But Yin Mei acted as if she saw nothing; it was a joke to think she would challenge him, as her rank was even one place lower than Yang Sen's. Although the difference in their strengths was vast, with Yang Sen defeated, her outcome would surely be the same.

Since defeat was certain, why should she make a fool of herself?

No one after rank 80 could hold their ground against Chu Hao; it was time for someone stronger to step up.

"What an arrogant kid," said a figure who suddenly leaped into view at that moment, a young man around 20 years old who looked short in stature, with a sharp chin and the face of a monkey, similar to a street performer.

Yet the aura he emitted was incredibly intimidating, commanding a natural authority that discouraged anyone from underestimating him.

"It's Xia Yun, Senior Brother Xia."

"Ranked 57th, at the early stage of the Six Meridians."

"Haha, a sure win this time."

The Native Faction's disciples cheered again, a martial master at the early stage of the Sixth Tier, a whole two minor realms higher than Chu Hao.

"Let me, Xia Yun, be the one to test you," the sharp-chinned young man said proudly.

"Then just wait," chu Hao replied, still absorbing the Star Stone.

Xia Yun, unlike Yang Sen, didn't fly into a vengeful rage. Instead, he sat down cross-legged, calm and unhurried. Despite his monkey-like appearance, he had the patience of a deep river; one should never judge a book by its cover.

Time ticked away, second by second, but Xia Yun didn't seem inclined to rescue Yang Sen or Pang Yi. In his view, these idiots couldn't even beat a dog from the Lower World, so it was natural that they needed to face some hardship and learn to strive for better in the future.

After a full two hours had passed, Chu Hao finally stood up. Now the sky had darkened, and torches were lit all around, making the scene with the two different-sized human piles seem a bit ridiculous. Anyone unaware would think it was a campfire party with the theme "Human Feast."

Chu Hao stretched his limbs and yawned, saying, "Alright, let the battle commence."

Only then did Xia Yun open his eyes, a cold smile on his lips as he said, "I had originally planned to just cripple your hands, but since you made me wait so long, I've decided to break your legs as well."

"Brother Xia, beat him to a pulp."

"Don't show any mercy."

The Native Faction's disciples shouted, venting their pent-up rage.

Chu Hao smiled faintly and responded, "Then bring it on."

"Still acting tough," Xia Yun made his move, swoosh, his form flashing with electrifying speed, reaching out to grab Chu Hao's head, clearly aiming to slam it into the ground.

Chu Hao engaged with the Sky Stepping Technique, both combatants launching rapid assaults, exchanging countless blows in an instant.

This time, Chu Hao was trapped in a tough battle.

With Xia Yun being at the mid-stage of the Sixth Tier, a full two minor realms above him, the pressure of his strength along with Xia Yun's fearsome speed frequently put him in danger. However, Chu Hao's Derivation ability was not to be underestimated, allowing him to hold his ground throughout.

In his mind, Chu Hao was secretly comparing. Even at the mid-stage of the Sixth Tier, this guy was no match for the Water Moon Fairy.

After all, the Upper Three Counties were the Upper Three Counties, and a Second Rank Sect was indeed a Second Rank Sect.

The cultivation techniques practiced by the Water Moon Fairy had to be at least Earth Level Lower Grade, perhaps even Middle-Grade or High-Grade, ensuring a denser Star Force and naturally stronger combat power.

He couldn't best the Water Moon Fairy, but with the help of his Derivation ability, fighting Xia Yun wasn't difficult.

The surroundings fell deathly silent.

Everyone understood that even among geniuses, there were levels: ordinary geniuses who were unmatched within the same minor realm, strong geniuses who could fight across one minor realm—and even win—and exceptional geniuses who could engage across two minor realms without losing.

Among the Inner Sect Disciples, the Top Ten Core Disciples were all such exceptional geniuses.

But the problem was, they were comparing these geniuses to ordinary Martial Artists—was Xia Yun an ordinary Martial Artist?

No, he was a genius, and could even be considered a very strong one at that.

Yet Chu Hao was able to exchange blows with him evenly—what kind of genius was he? A super super genius?

"This talent is on par with Eldest Senior Brother," someone said with a trembling voice.

The Eldest Senior Brother.

Within Yunliu Sect, there was only one Eldest Senior Brother.

Cao Jingwen!

One of the Four Talented of Tianhe, the four most gifted young individuals in the entire Tianhe County.

Could Chu Hao really be compared to him?

(Thanks to 'Old He Also Has Someone' and 'Young Master of Xinzhuang' for the rewards yesterday, @Old He Also Has Someone, adorable. Today is 520, I want to confess to you all, I love you~~ Does anyone want to confess to me?)